Attorney General Hanaway Marks October 7 Anniversary With Support For Victims’ Lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – This week marks the second anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, when Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 innocent civilians, injured thousands more, and kidnapped hundreds of hostages. In remembrance of this anniversary, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway joined a 21-state coalition in filing a federal lawsuit to support the victims of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

The multi-state lawsuit urges the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to allow the plaintiffs, families of Americans killed, injured, and kidnapped by Hamas, to pursue their claims under the federal Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The brief argues that groups in the United States that knowingly provide material support, financial, logistical, or ideological, to Hamas should be held accountable under the ATA and under the material-support statutes of numerous states, including Missouri.

“We will continue to speak out and fight terrorism wherever it rears its head,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Our Office stands shoulder to shoulder with the victims of October 7, their families, and especially the hostages, and we will continue to pursue accountability for those who provide support, financial, logistical, or ideological, to terror organizations.”

The brief details how certain organizations operating in the United States allegedly coordinated propaganda campaigns with Hamas in the days following the October 7 massacre, effectively serving as the terrorist group’s public-relations arm. By doing so, these entities are accused of materially assisting Hamas’s acts of terror, which continue to harm American citizens and their families.

The multistate brief emphasizes that both federal and state law prohibit providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations and that such laws are critical tools for safeguarding citizens from extremist violence. The coalition argues that civil suits brought under the ATA are vital to ensuring victims have a path to justice and that individuals or organizations who aid terrorism are held accountable in United States courts.

“Missouri is proud to stand with our fellow states in calling for justice. The rule of law must prevail over hatred and violence, and we will continue to ensure that those who aid terrorists face the full force of the law,” Attorney General Hanaway added.

Missouri joined the brief alongside the attorneys general of Iowa, Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

The full Amicus brief on the October 7 atrocities can be read here.